Fatal accidents reported as snow storm continues

Prince George's County police are working to determine what caused a crash between a car and a taxi in Landover that killed two people. (Courtesy of Prince George's County Police)

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Law enforcement and highway officials statewide are urging motorists to stay off the road if possible as the worst of the latest winter storm is starting to make its way through the region.

The snow is being blamed for scores of accidents across Maryland.

At about 2 p.m., Harford County Emergency Management reported that it received reports of 30 motor vehicle accidents, including five with personal injuries since 7:30 a.m. Most of those accidents are directly related to the weather, officials said.

Also, Anne Arundel County police spokesman Lt. T.J. Smith said they has received reports of at least 25 accidents, mostly minor, through 2:45 p.m. Tuesday.

This comes after Prince George's County police are working to determine what caused a crash between a car and a taxi in Landover that killed two people.

County fire department spokesman Mark Brady says a car and taxi collided Tuesday about 11:15 a.m. on Pennsy Drive near the Landover Metro station. The taxi remained on the roadway, but the other car split in half. The part of the car with two people inside traveled about 25 feet into a nearby drainage ditch.

One person was pronounced dead at the scene. A second person was taken to an area trauma center and was pronounced dead. Brady says the taxi driver did not appear to be seriously injured.

Brady says there was light snow and the roadway was wet at the time of the crash.

Not long before that crash, at about 11:03 a.m. in Frederick, Maryland State Police responded to a two-vehicle fatal collision.

State police said a tractor trailer was traveling east on Route 140 out and another vehicle traveling west out of collided on the snowy roadway. The passenger vehicle started to fishtail on the snowy roadway and was struck by the tractor trailer.

Police said this caused the passenger vehicle to spin and the operator was ejected. The passenger vehicle's drive was pronounced dead at the scene. The name is being withheld until family has been notified.

The accident caused Route 140 to be closed for several hours as the investigation continues.

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The Associated Press contributed to this story.

Copyright 2014 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.